It's one thing to hear the cast recording. But it's a whole different experience on stage.
Never throwing away my shot as the global cultural phenomenon lands in Manila (Photo courtesy of the author)
DISCLAIMER/PSA: This post is NOT SPONSORED in any way, shape, or form by GMG Productions (Philippines). I was not invited to see the show by the producers, nor did I pay for my own ticket to the show. A very good friend of mine treated me to this production along with a few of my good school friends. I am very grateful to one of my friends who treated me to watching this show.
What can I say about Lin-Manuel's Miranda's hip-hop musical Hamilton??? Ask me and I can say a lot of things about the impact of this show. It's revolutionary, it's groundbreaking, it's an international phenomenon that became a pop culture juggernaut. And it has a huge following here in the Philippines where one of our showbiz royalties, Rachelle Ann Go, became the original Eliza Hamilton stoking our Pinoy pride on stage. But even before that, Hamilton has become heavily followed globally since it first played on Broadway in 2015, with its unique blending of hip-hop and traditional Broadway songwriting, diverse casts, and the fandom it has developed. That's perhaps why ticket sales when the show's Manila run was announced was a feat unimaginable by any local or foreign theater show made before or since.
Of course, most of the world got their first exposures to Hamilton through the phenomenal award-winning cast recording, inspiring us in our tales of making our own revolutions to change the world, and even more so when the proshot with the original cast dropped on Disney+ in July 2020 within the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns and its impact on global performing arts. But while it's one thing to see and hear the original cast in recordings, it can make a much bigger impact when you see it in person, especially if you have seen it on Broadway or the West End or Australia in the past few years. as each cast has its own charm, personality, attitude, and style. The cast that came here was from the groundbreaking Australian tour, with a mix representing multiple countries including the US, UK, and South Africa. They have been delighting Aussie fans of the musical since 2021 and to add a uniquely Filipino flavor to the cast, Rachelle Ann Go reprised her original role in London, making this production a full circle homecoming.
But what makes this cast even more special and enjoyable in my eyes?
This version of Hamilton feels very personal and intimate to me, not only because of me seeing the show in person, but in the way the cast interacts with each other and the roles are executed. One example is Darnell Abraham, who played George Washington. You can easily tell that the character he portrays is one that truly cannot be messed with, especially one who's scale is outmanned, outplanned, and outnumbered. The war game in his portrayal is present throughout the show, as he put an even more determined set of emotions to a role that many Hamilton fans have grown accustomed to.
The Schuyler Sisters also brought in an energy that is even more flavorful than the original. Akina Edmonds brought an extra layer of spicyness and sassiness to the role of Angelica Schuyler. Her voice has a layer of extra spice and excitement especially in her song "Satisfied". And if Akina brings the spice, then our own Rachelle Ann Go complements that with the sweetness and bubbliness she brings as Eliza. The interactions between her and Jason Arrow (as the titular role of Alexander Hamilton) bring a whole new level of intimacy between the two characters.
However the real standout character of this production really isn't Hamilton or Washington or the Schuyler Sisters at all. It is actually the antagonist King George (Brent Hill) as he brings a sense of humor to the role originally portrayed by Jonathan Groff. The way he sang "You'll Be Back" has even more emotion than the original version and brings the whole theater to waves of laughter.
All in all, this production as with many other iterations of Hamilton across the globe have their own distinct attitudes, styles and ways of bringing this phenomenon to life. And I, along with many others who have seen this in its groundbreaking Philippine run, have been lucky to see this globally diverse and infinitely talented company that took the spirit of the original cast and brought it to a new level that left the Filipino audience spellbound, making them feel inspired to see our history in the same lens, making pieces of art that tells of who lives, who dies, and who tells your story. And because of this, I feel like I never threw away my shot to witness this global pop culture juggernaut live on stage. And I would also take this opportunity to wish the same for theater fans in Singapore and Abu Dhabi that if they could afford and have the means to by 2024, they should take the time to be a part of this revolution making waves across the globe. For this show told of who lived and died, and the world will continue to tell his story.
